A/N Thank you for all the story alerts, favourites and the reviews. This chapter is dedicated to Erika who encourages me to write and gives me ideas when i have writers block and Audrey who gives me constructive criticisms to help me write better stories.

I have been standing in the same spot for what feels like forever but in reality has been about 15 minutes. My eyes are transfixed on the doors that leads into the treatment area. Kate is in there and I'm helpless because I can't go through yet. I just want to hold her hand and reassure myself that she is okay. Someone comes to a stop next to me, and I feel a hand placed on my shoulder. I look to my left and discover Ryan standing there. He too is just staring at those white double automatic doors that lead to the back. Neither of us talk we just stand in a comfortable silence, our thoughts going over time. It's not long before Esposito appears in front of me. He looks out of breath and pained, he must of parked the cruiser and ran in.

"How is she Castle?"

I feel sorry for the boys, Kate is like a sister to them it must kill them that she is back in hospital again. During those summer months they worked all hours of the day and night trying to find that sniper. They missed important family events because they wanted to catch the son of a bitch who hurt their Kate.

They both have their gazes fixed on me, waiting for the good news that they are so desperate to hear.

" I really don't know they gave her some gas and air in the ambulance for the pain, then they took her through those doors. No one has come out yet to give me a update."

Ryan looks deflated and takes his phone out of his pocket.

"I'll be back in a minute."

With this he begins to walk back towards the main entrance.

"Hey Ryan" I shout " Where you going?"

He looks back over his shoulder, phone already to his ear and replies….

" Some one has to inform Gates of what has happened, and I'm telling her that Esposito and Myself are taking the rest of the day off."

With this he is gone and I turn my attention back to those doors. Esposito has gone while I was talking to Ryan I can only presume to get that horrible engine oil hospital coffee or to ring Lanie. After all it is her best friend that she saw die and come back to life in her grasp that is now back in the hospital. I think about ringing Mother and Alexis, but I know that there has been tension between Alexis and Kate since the shooting. She has a valid reason to be mad at me but not to be mad at Kate. Kate didn't ask me to lunge in front of that bullet for her. Kate didn't ask me to love her, these are all my choices. I text Mother instead and tell her not to worry but Kate is in hospital but that she will be fine even though I can't convince myself of that fact yet. I tell her not to come that we will be fine and I will speak to her later. A few minutes later a my phone vibrates in my jacket pocket. A new text from Mother shows up on my screen and all it says is ' hang in there son, I'll be there in a bit'. I knew that she would ignore the bit about not coming here but in a way it is comforting to think that she cares about Kate.

...

30 minutes later Ryan and Esposito are back and have convinced me to sit down on the hard hospital chairs. A lukewarm horrid tasting cup of coffee is grasped in my hands. The cup giving off a little heat in my hands. Still no news and I am beginning to feel a bit angsty we all are. Ryan had managed to persuade Gates to give them the rest of the day off so they could wait for news of their boss, friend and sister. The sound of heels on a hard flat surfaces resonates in my ears and as I look up I find Lanie standing directly in front of me. She takes the now cold coffee out of my grasp and places it on the table in front of me. She then by holding on to my biceps pulls me up out of my chair and into a massive engulfing hug. I'm not sure if this hug is for my benefit or it is for her. She finally lets me go and goes to speak, I shake my head. I know what she is going to ask before it even leaves her lips, she wants to know if there has been any news. She understands that there hasn't been and takes the now vacated seat next to me. Surely they will come out and tell us soon. I have tried my Castle charm but the receptionist was having none of it. She said we had to wait and that we weren't family. She got a bit of a earful of Ryan and Esposito for that comment., even that didn't do the trick.

Finally a lady in her 40's dressed in a white coat appears through the doors.

"Family of Kate Beckett."

I am up heading towards her before she can finish that sentence. Ryan, Esposito and Lanie are not far behind me.

" I'm Richard Castle, Kate's partner. How is she?"

She doesn't even check what type of partner I am to Kate. I suspect that she has noticed the badges that Ryan and Esposito wear.

" Detective Beckett has a nasty cut to her forehead which has now been stitched and she has a concussion. She will need to be observed over the next 24 hours but scans show that she has not suffered any permanent brain damage. She will be released in the next hour if there is someone she can stay with? "

I don't even need to think it over…

"She can stay with me."

"Okay Mr Castle, she will need to be woken ever couple of hours and given a simple question test to insure her brain hasn't swelled. If you notice any speech impairments, blinding headaches, problems with eyesight or confusion you must bring her straight back in."

"I'm sure I can manage all of that. Thank you Doctor."

"You may all go through to see her as long as you keep the noise down. She has had quite a lot of painkillers so she may say some embarrassing things for the next couple of hours while they wear off. She has a prescription with her for some mild painkillers and she is to keep the head wound dry for a couple of days to allow it time to heal."

She shook my hand and left, I turned to Lanie and gestured for her to go first. She slapped me gently on the shoulder for my gentlemanly ways and went through the doors first. It didn't take us long to find Kate's room, we could hear her arguing with one of the nurses about the fact that she was fine. Lanie and the boys went in first, I lingered behind I wanted time to look her over and iterate to myself that she really was okay.

A/N I hope that was okay. Please review :D